elwell



4 Sheets-Sheet l B. L. ELWELL MOLDING APPARATUS Filed April 2,' 1929March 11, 1930.

March 1l, 1930. B. L. ELWELL. 1,750,217

MOLDING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1929 4 sheets-sheet 2 BIL;

March l1, 1930. a. l.. ELWl-:LL

MOLDING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 jl/,Elwell March1l, 1930. B. l.. ELWELL MOLDING lAPPARATUS Filed April 2, 1929. 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. l1, 193@ UNITED STTESV BBADEN L. ELWELL, FGRANITE CITY, ELLNOIS MOLDING- APPARATUS Application filed April 2,1929. Serial lo. 351,957.

This invention relates to molding apparatus and more particularly toapparatus for forming sand molds, cores or the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus formolding or packing sand flasks, core boxes or the like which may bemounted upon a shiftable carriage mounted for movement in one gen-eraldirection and being mounted for movement transversely of the generalline of movement of the carriage so that it may be successfullypositioned over a number of diEe-rent flasks to pack sand therein, orover a number of different parts of the same flask.

A further object of the invention is to produce an apparatus of thischaracter, a construction such that the main sand supply may be maderelatively stationary upon the carriage and may therefore be disposed atall times where it is readily accessible for filling.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a noveland improved means for forming the actual packing operation, which is soconstructed that it may be vertically shifted to enable the same to beentered and withdrawn from a flask or moved as the filling of the flaskprogresses.

A still further object of the invention is 3o to provide a novel andimproved packing apparatus wherein the packing is carried on in a manneras closely resembling as possible the packing operation as performed byhuman hands, and the sand is fed to the packing tool in such manner thatit may not clog in its passage to this tool.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration I haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is avertical sectional view through molding apparatus constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof, portions being broken away;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the trough;

Figure 9 is an enlarged detailed sectional view through the lower end ofthe packer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates a carriage comprising upwardly converging cornerelements 11, which may conveniently be formed from structural iron. Attheir lower ends the corner elements and corresponding sides of theframe are connected by longitudinally extending frame elements 12 onwhich are mounted wheels 13, preferably designed for operation alongtracks 14 for a team. At their upper ends corner elements atcorresponding ends are connected by transversely extending castings 15,each affording upper and lower guide rails 16 and 17, while those atcorresponding sides of the carriage are connected by headers 18.Adjacent the upper end of one corner member a motor 19 is mounted, theshaft of this motor having a worm gear 20 engaging a worm 21 securedupon one end of a transversely extending shaft 22, which is mounted inbearings 23 carried by a header element 24 connecting the upper ends ofthe transversely aligned corner members at this side of the frame. Theheader element 24 further provides bearings 25 for vertically extendingshafts 26 paralleling the corner elements connected by the header, andhaving at their upper ends bevelled gears 27 meshing with bevelled gears23 carried by shaft 22, and at their lower ends bevelled gears 29meshing with bevelled gears 30 secured to the axles 31 of the associatedwheels 13. Motor 19 should be a reversing motor and it will be obviousupon operation thereof the carriage 10 may be shifted in eitherdirection along the rails.

Mounted upon the rail element 16 by supporting driving wheels 32 is asub-carriage 33 which in addition to mounting the shaft 34 of thesupporting and driving rollers engaging the track 16J mounts a furtherpair of rollers 35 for engagement with the track 16 and correspondingpairs of rollers 36 for engagement with the track 17. This carriagefurther provides a support for a motor 37, the armature shaft of whichis provided with a worm 38 engaging a worm gear 39 secured to the shaftof the supporting and driving wheels 32.

The sub-carriage provides a vertically directed guide for a ram 40having formed upon the exterior thereof a rack 41 with which meshes agear 42 driven by a motor 43 carried by the sub-carriage. Motors 37 and43 are of the reverse type and it will be obvious that by controllingthese motors the carriage may be caused to shift along the supports 15,or the ram 40 thereof caused to raise and lower if desired.

Supported from the lower end of the ram is a hopper 44, as in thepresent instance shown as biconic, the discharge outlet of which is inthe form of a cylindro-conie nozzle 45, the larger end of which isdownwardly disposed. At the upper end of the hopper and adjacent thelower end of the nozzle 45 vertically aligned bearings 4G and 47 areprovided through which is directed a vertically extending shaft 48 whichextends upwardly through the hollow center of ram 40, and forms at itsupper end the armature shaft of a motor 49. To this shaft above thebearing 7 of the nozzle is secured a worm 50, which extends immediatelyabove bearings 47 into the lower end of the hopper 44 and is taperedthroughout its length to cor respond to the taper of the nozzle.

To the shaft beneath bearing 47 is secured a packing tool 51 whichincludes an upper spiral section 52 and a horizontal section 53 disposedat and forming a continuation of the lower end of this spiral section.This packing tool when in operation simulates the action of the molderstrowel, the spiral section forcing the sand downwardly, while thehorizontal section packs and smooths the sand.

As a means for supplying molding sand to the hopper I provide areceiving or storage hoppe 1 54 carried by the frame and an extensibleconveyor mechanism 55 connecting hopper 54 with a supply hopper 5Gcarried by and discharging into the main hopper 44. The receiving orstorage hopper 54 has its lower end formed by a casting 57 having abottom in the form of a V-shaped trough. The lower end of this casting`is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 59 carried by the carriage, asindicated at 60, and this lower end embodies a shelf 61 or other supportfor a motor G2.

The armature shaft of this motor drives a shaft 63, which is mounted ina bearing G4 formed in the outer end of the hopper bottom castingthrough a gear 65. This shaft projects through the inner end of thehopper casting which is open and has secured thereto a worm 6G. Securedto the hopper casting 57 by a cantilever truss 67 and by longitudinallyextending brace and guide rods 68 is a plate G9 in which the outer endof the worin shaft G3 has bearing. The rods G8 have slidably mountedthereon a yoke 70, which is pivotally engaged with the ram, as indicatedat 71. This yoke surrounds supply hopper 57, allowing sullieient playfor relative angular displacement of the yoke and hopper.

The side of the hopper adjacent supply hopper 54 has pivotally connectedthereto, as at 72, a tubular conveyor trough section 73, the inner endof which projects through an opening 74 formed in the wall of thehopper, the outer end of which has extensions 75 through which the rodsG8 are slidably directed. The adjacent end of the supply conveyor troughcasting 57 has secured thereto a substantially V-shaped trough section76. Trough sections 73 and 76 are connected by telescopically engagedV-shaped trough sec tions 77, the outer ends of these trough sections atthe bottoms thereof being connected by slotted links 78 limitingseparation thereof. Each V -shaped trough section 77 has its edgesrolled to produce eyes 79 slidably receiving rods 68.

In the use of apparatus of this character, the molding sand is placed inthe receiving hopper 54 and the flask, core box or other element inwhich the sand is to be packed is placed between rails 14. The ram isthen manipulated, the carriage and sub-carriage shifted to place thenozzle in the flask, after which operation of the packer and its feedworin and of conveyor screw 6G are started.

Sand is fed from the receiving hopper by the worin 66 to the supplyhopper 57 and thus to the main hopper 44 and the feed screw 50. Due tothe fact that the nozzle 45 increases in diameter downwardly, the sandmay not pack in this nozzle, as in order to do so it must form a wedgewithin the nozzle against the action of the worm, which has a greatercapacity adjacent its lower end than it has at its upper, in other wordsa greater discharging than feeding capacity.

The packing tool 51 acting upon the material fed thereto forces thismaterial downwardly to pack the saine against material previously fedinto the flask, and then flattens out and further packs the material.thus supplied. Alfter the supply delivered to the flask increases theram may be elevated to maintain the packer in the proper level.

Tn filling an elongated flask this flask may be disposed longitudinallyof the tracks 13, and the carriage caused to travel along the tracksduring the feeding operation at a desired speed. The controls of theseveral motors will, of course, be centralized and preferably bearranged so that they permit manipulation thereof by an operator sopositioned as to view the packing operation.

Through the use of the extensible conveyor trough it is possible toemploy a relatively lined receiving hopper which may be convenient-lyreplenished from time to time without distur ing the position of thesub-carriage or of the main carriage, and at the same time any desiredadjustment of the position of the packing nozzle may be obtained.

rlhe structure illustrated is obviously capable of a considerable rangeof change and inocification without in any manner departing from thespirit of the invention, and l accordingly do not limit myself to suchspecilic structure exceptas hereinafter claimed.

l claim l. In molding apparatus of the character described, a travellingcarriage, a vertically shiftable ram carried thereby, a hopper supportedfrom the ram, a discharge nozzle associated with the hopper, and arotatable packer at the lower end of said nozzle.

2. In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage, a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriage transversely thereof, a vertically shiftable ram carried bythe subcarriage, a. hopper supported from the ram,

`a discharge nozzle for the hopper, and a rotatable packing elementdisposed at the discharge end of the nozzle.

ln molding apparatus, a vertically shiftable ram, a cylindro-conicnozzle carried thereby and having its larger end downwardly disposed, afeed screw within the nozzle and having the same taper as the nozzle, arotatable packer in the lower end of tho nozzle, and means for rotatingsaid feed screw and packer. Y

Ll. ln molding apparatus, a vertically shiftable ram, a cylindro-conicnozzle carried thereby and having its larger end downwardly disposed, afeed screw within the nozzle and having the same taper as the nozzle, arotatable packer in the lower end of the nozzle, a motor carried by theupper end of the ram, and a shaft driven by said motor and common tosaid feed screw and packer.

5. ln molding apparatus, a vertically shiftable ram, a cylindro-conicnozzle carried thereby and having its larger end downwardly disposed, afeed screw within the nozzle and having the same taper as the nozzle, arotatable packer in the lower end of the nozzle, means for rotating saidfeed screw and packer, a stationary storage hopper, and a conveyor forsupplying material from said storage hopper to said nozzle operable inall positions of the nozzle.

6. In molding apparatus of the character described, a travellingcarriage, a vertically shiftable ram carried thereby, ahopper supportedfrom the ram, a discharge nozzle associated with the hopper, a rotatablepacker at the lower end of said nozzle, a storage hopper carried by thearriage, and a conveyor connecting the hopper of the ram and saidstorage hopper in all positions of the ram.

7. In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage. a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriage transversely thereof, a vertically shiftable ram carried bythe subcarriage, a hopper supported from the ram, a discharge nozzle forthe hopper, a rotatable packing element disposed at the discharge end of`the nozzle, a hopper carried by the carriage, and a conveyor mechanismconnecting the hopper of the carriage and the hopper of said ram in allpositions of the ram.

8. In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage, a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriagetransversely thereof, a vertically shiftable ram carried bythe subcarriage, a hopper supported from the ram, a discharge nozzle forthe hopper, a rotatable packing element disposed at the discharge end ofthe nozzle, a storage hopper carried by the carriage, a screw fordischarging the contents of the storage hopper extending through thehopper of the ram, and an eX- tensible trough connecting the outlet ofthe storage hopper and the inlet of the hopper of the ram.

9, In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage, a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriage transversely thereof, a vertically shiftable rain carriedby the subcarriage, a hopper supported from the ram, a discharge nozzlefor the hopper, a rotatable packing element disposed at the dischargeend of the nozzle, a storage hopper pivoted upon the carriage, adischarge worm associated therewith and extended through the hopper ofthe ram, a support for the worm fixed to the storage hopper and pivotedto the ram, and an extensible trough for said worm connecting thestorage hopper and the hopper of the ram.

10. In molding apparatus, a vertically shiftable ram, a cylindro-conicnozzle carried thereby and having its larger end downwardly disposed, afeed screw within'the nozzle and having the same taper as the nozzle, arotatable packer in the lower end of the nozzle, means for rotating saidfeed screw and packer, and a horizontally shiftable carriage upon whichsaid ram is supported.

11. In molding apparatus, a vertically shiftable ram, a cylindro-conicnozzle carried thereby and having its larger end downwardly disposed, afeed screw within the nozzle and having the same taper as the nozzle, arotatable packer in the lower end of the nozzle, means for rotating saidfeed screw and packer, a horizontally shiftable carriage upon which saidram is supported, a station` ary hopper carried by said carriage, andmeans for supplying material from said hopper to said nozzle in allpositions of said ram.

12. In molding apparatus of the character described, a travellingcarriage, a vertically shiftable ram carried thereby, a hopper supportedfrom the ram, a discharge nozzle associated with the hopper, a rotatablepacker at the lower end of said nozzle, and means for operating saidrotatable packer carried by said ram.

13. In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage, a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriage transversely thereof, a vertically shiftable ram carried bythe subcarriage, a hopper supported from the ram, a discharge nozzle forthe hopper, a rotatable packing element disposed at the discharge end ofthe nozzle, and means for operating said rotatable packer carried bysaid ram.

14. In molding apparatus of the character described, a travellingcarriage, a vertically shiftable ram carried thereby, a hopper supportedfrom the ram, a discharge nozzle associated with the hopper, a rotatablepacker at the loiver end of said nozzle,` a storage hopper carried bythe carriage, a conveyor connecting the hopper of the ram and saidstorage hopper in all positions of the ram, means carried by the ram foroperating said packer, and means carried by the carriage for verticallyshifting said ram.

15. In molding apparatus of the character described, a longitudinallyshiftable carriage, a sub-carriage supported thereby and shiftable uponthe carriage transversely thereof, a vertically shiftable ram carried bythe subcarriage, a hopper supported from the ram, a discharge nozzle forthe hopper, a rotatable packing` element disposed at the discharge endof the nozzle, a hopper carried by the carriage, a conveyor mechanismconnecting the hopper of the carriage and the hopper of said ram in allpositions of the ram, means carried by the carriage for shifting thecarriage, means carried by the sub-carriage for shifting thesub-carriage, and means carried by said ram for operating said packingelement.

16. In molding apparatus of the character described, a verticallyextending nozzle, means for supporting` the nozzle, means for feeding`molding sand to the upper end thereof, a. Worm Within and fitting thenozzle, a rotatable packing tool at the lower end of said nozzle, andmeans for operating said rotatable packing` tool and said Worm.

17. In molding apparatus of the character described, a verticallyextending nozzle, means for supporting the nozzle, means for feedingmolding sand to the upper end there signature.

BRADEN L. EUWELL.

